


Lion In Winter: The Sequel

by Nerdqueen395



Series: Langst [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: All Platonic - Freeform, Angst, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), But im all about the platonic stuff, Coran cares, Gen, Hurt Lance (Voltron), I realize I made Lance from the wrong part of Cuba in previous fics, I will fix that, Insecure Lance (Voltron), JUST, Lance (Voltron) Whump, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lancs has ice powers, Langst, Magic, My babys!, PAIN., PTSD, Part 2 to Lion in Winter, Ship if you want to, Space Uncle Coran (Voltron), Trigger Warnings, Whump, angst everywhere, dealing with the aftermath
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-01-18 17:17:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12392544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdqueen395/pseuds/Nerdqueen395
Summary: The jungle planet left it's mark on all the Paladins, both physical, and mental. But instead of facing the facts, everyone is lying to themselves, and pretending nothing ever happened...but the marks are there, and like it or not, their little charade is about to fall apart.The sad truth is, the truth is sad. But a lie is worse.





	1. Second-Hand Lions

**Author's Note:**

> Tada! Here it is folks...PART 2. This still takes place before everyone switched Lions, so I guess that makes this even MORE of an AU...oh well.  
> Let me know what you think below in the comment section! And feel free to send in fanart and plot suggestions!

Lance stared at the mirror, tracing the feathery patterns that marked his skin; From his heart, to his fingertips.

As his fingers brushed the thick knot above his heart, a tingling sensation wracked his body, and Lance shivered. He removed his hand and threw on the new shirt Coran had given him, with long sleeves and a high collar to hide the marks. He then threw on a jacket and the gloves Keith had lent him, so no one could see his scarred hands.

Checking to make sure everything was covered, Lance headed to breakfast. He didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, so Lance took great care in hiding any painful reminder of that horrid planet.

Lance rubbed his arms as he walked, no matter how many layers he wore, he was always cold. The chilling feeling of ice in his veins refused to leave him ever since he had ceased to use his ice powers, afraid he might be called “Monster” once more.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and plastered the large, false smile on his face. “ _Buenos dias_ everybody!” He said cheerfully as he entered the dining room, “And how are my favorite Paladins this fine, dark morning?”

Pidge rolled her eyes, “Just dandy Lance, now would you please sit down, we've been waiting for you to get here so we can eat.” the loud rumble of her stomach stood testament to her hunger and Lance smirked.

“Well, the life of the party hath arrived, please, _dig in_.”

He sat down next to Hunk and began to stuff himself with green food goo, laughing and conversing with everyone. It was as if nothing bad had ever happened. No one had changed. The jungle planet had never existed.

But deep in their minds, they all knew it was a lie, and like all lies, eventually, it would fall apart.

X

Keith rubbed his eyes, sore from lack of sleep. Even though Lance had decided to forgive him, Keith found it hard to forgive himself.

He still had nightmares of that awful planet, with the dead Alteans and unrecognizable power, old and evil.

And Lance, no longer laughing, the excitable energy that had once bubbled out of him in buckets of euphoria, gone. In their place was a cold, harsh reality. A hardness that came too soon, too young.

Keith should have been there, should have comforted Lance, should have saved him like Lance had saved Keith.

But Keith had forgotten that, just like he had forgotten Lance and all the rest of the team.

When the chance had come to repay Lance, Keith failed. He went to protect his friend, and had seen a monster.

“A monster", Keith had said, not a hero, not a brave friend, not a selfless brother, a monster.

Lance may have forgiven him, but Keith sure as hell had not.

X

Pidge had been beating herself up for falling prey to the intoxicating magic of the planet. She had abandoned her senses for what, a few flowers?

The Green Paladin was supposed to be _intelligent_ , not a naive child. Pidge had given into temptation, and ultimately failed herself, her team, and the Green Lion.

Day after day, night after night, Pidge trained herself to be smarter, stronger, to be better. To not fail again.

She worked hard to lose the Pidge that had gone to that planet. No more jokes, better bond with her Lion, focus.

Any flowers that had been aboard the ship were gone. She had rid the castle of their horrid stench, and the memories that came with them.

Nobody complained. They hated them too.

X

Hunk had begun spending more time with Lance, following him around, caring more. Lance was his best friend, and he had almost lost him because Hunk was too sensitive.

Hunk was more serious about his training, _don't be weak_ he told himself, _be strong_.

Lance had worked so hard to help them escape and Hunk had been _giggling_ the entire time. Drunk on the buzzing in his ears. But no longer.

He wasn't sensitive, crybaby Hunk, he was strong, dependable Hunk. He created a mirage around himself. And the mirage was beginning to waver.

X

When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.

Shiro didn't tell anyone he heard their cries in the night. He didn't notice the change. The false personalities and lost hopes. They wanted to be strong, Shiro understood that better than anybody. They could keep their secrets, but when the time came that they broke, he would be there.

Just like he always had been.

X

Allure was confused. Her people were honest people, nobody hid their feelings, no matter what. Because the sad truth is that truth is sad, and there's nothing you can do about that. Except move on.

But her Paladins did not move on, they did not tell the truth. They changed, but their routines did not, and Allure did not know what to do.

She talked to Shiro, and he said that they'd come to their senses eventually. But when was eventually?

Because right now, it was taking an eternity.


	2. The Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is difficult, when faced with a situation you cannot control, to admit you can do nothing.  
> It was Corans job to guide, not lead. But sometimes, even guides have to give a little shove to keep people on the right track.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! I'm trying to pace myself, so it's off to a slow start, sorry! But more angst is on the way! And for those of you wondering about Coran, well.. just keep reading!

It is difficult, when faced with a situation you cannot control, to admit you can do nothing. Say your best friend decides to get a tattoo of their grandma, but it ends up looking like a dog. You can't say it looks like a dog, that would be rude, you just have to accept the facts and tell them it looks lovely.

But it's really not.

This is how it was for Coran. He knew all of them had problems, and that all of them were masking it. But he couldn't say anything, it was his job to guide, not lead.

When Lance had flashbacks Coran was there to comfort him, and talk with him.

When Keith had a bad day, Coran would help monitor the training room so Keith didn't end up hurting himself sparing with the robots.

When Pidge wanted to get rid of all the flowers in the castle, Coran helped her out, regaling her with stories from his youth that made her laugh.

When Coran saw Hunk casting longing glances at the kitchen, but forcing himself to “be tough”, Coran would tell Hunk he needed his help in the kitchen.

When Allure and Shiro worried about their Paladins, Coran would reassure them, telling them it would fix itself in the end.

Coran wished he could have done more, but he knew that this was one problem the team had to fix themselves.

And until then, he would be right by their side.

X

It was the first mission the team had gone on since the planet, and tensions were high. All were nervous about what would happen, if they would let each other down like they had before, or if they would prove they were stronger now.

Coran was worried too. But not about what the others were worried about, no, he worried they couldn't work as a team. Too many secrets could keep them from forming Voltron.

Coran wasn't surprised when Lance came to see him. His head was down, and his cheeks were red, as if embarrassed.

Coran asked Lance what he needed.

Lance's blush deepened, “W-well, um, I was wondering if you could switch my com to the other side of my helmet.”

Coran frowned, confused, “What do you mean my dear boy, why would I switch your com?”

Lance seemed to curl into himself, “It's...I hear better out the other ear, that's all.”

Coran knew Lance was hiding something from him. He was about to let it go though, but then Coran realized something. 

This was his chance to do something. To change what was going on. He wasn't going to let this moment slip by.

He stared Lance in the eyes with a ferocity that caught Lance off guard. He pulled into even tighter ball, almost doubled over. “Er, Coran?” Lance whimpered slightly, “What’s going on here?”

Coran grabbed Lance’s arm and forced him onto the exam table, Lance stumbled, wide eyed in surprise. “What the - Coran?!”

Coran just stared at him for a moment, then finally spoke. “Lance,  _ tell me what's wrong _ .”

Lance winced, “I already told you Coran, I just hear better is all.” 

Coran kept staring, until, finally, Lance broke. He let out a sob, and Coran pulled the boy into a tight hug, Lance crying on his shoulder.

“My boy, all I want to do is help,  but I can't do that unless you let me. So let me help you.”

Lance pulled away, sniveling. He let out a deep sigh, the tears still falling down his face, but slower now, and more silent. 

“Back- back on that planet, when I was electrocuted, it damaged my ear. My left ear, to be exact. I- Coran, I can't hear out of my left ear.”

Coran stood there, stunned, then pulled Lance into another hug. “Thanks for telling me Lance.” He pulled back, “Now, I'll switch the coms in your helmet, but we need to find a way to help you, I'm sure I can somehow fix your hearing. But for now, you should let your team know, so they can help take care of you.” 

Lance frowned, “Please don't tell them, I don't want them to know. What if they decide I can't fight because of it? What if Allure decides that I can't be a Paladin anymore?” Lance choked back a sob, “I- I don't want them to think I'm weak.”

Coran shook his head, “You aren't weak Lance, you are a Paladin of Voltron for a reason. You are strong, and kind, and one injury, one bad experience, won't change that. I know it, everyone else knows it, and now  _ you  _ know it. Don't tell yourself otherwise.”

Lance frowned again, as if he didn't quite believe it. But he nodded his head, “I understand Coran, just, please, don't tell them. Keep it a secret, for me?”

Coran sighed, disappointment, but grudgingly agreed, “I'll tell no one.” He said, “You have my word.”

Lance beamed, “Thank you Coran. It means a lot to me.”

Lance jumped of the table and handed his helmet to Coran, “Welp, that battle won't wait for me. So we better fix my coms quickly, huh?”

Coran smiled gently, “Yes, we should.”

Coran was a guide, not a leader. But sometimes, even guides had to give a little shove here and there to keep people on the right track.

It wasn't perfect, Lance still had his secrets, as did the others. But Coran had made progress.

Their mask was cracking, one chip at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! Let me know what you guys think in the comment section below, I'll try my best to answer all of them! Also, let me know if I made any grammar or spelling mistakes, that way I can fix them and not look back at this story and cringe like I do all my others :/  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Waiting To Exhale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It felt like forever.
> 
>  
> 
> It was only five seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 folks! I've been trying to pace myself in my writing, so let me know if it's too fast or too slow. Hope you enjoy!

 

Lance had shut off his mike. Shiro’s voice was still coming through, loud and clear, going over the battle plan one last time. But Lance didn't want the others to hear his panicky breathing and reassuring words to himself that did nothing to curb his fear.

“It's ok Lance, you can do this,  _ no problemo _ . You still have one good ear and all your shooting skills. You’re fine, you’re a Paladin of Voltron.”

Lance shivered, feeling the cold spot in his chest fight to be free once more. He pushed back and forced it down again. The cold had been growing, trying so hard to be let loose.

But Lance wouldn't let it. He wasn't a monster, he didn't have magic. He was a normal, Cuban boy, who was currently on mission in space, galaxies away from home, in a magic blue lion, fighting a ten thousand year war he had nothing to do with.

Yup. Completely normal.

Blue’s voice rumbled in his mind,  _ My Paladin, what worries you so? Lion is here, you are safe. _

Lance sighed, “Sorry Blue, it's just...that ice...thing I did on the planet.”

_ Yes, our power, what of it Paladin? Why does it bother you? _

“It's not normal Blue. It bothers me because it means that  _ I’m  _ not normal since I can do it. Im human Blue, not Altean, not Galra,  _ human _ . And humans...can't do magic.”

Blue seemed confused,  _ But...you are not normal. Were you not aware of this? _

Lance sat, stunned, “What do you mean by that Blue?”

Blue was about to answer, but she stopped.  _ My Paladin, Leader is speaking to us, we have arrived. _

“What?” Lance looked at the screen and saw that Blue was right. Shiro’s voice kept coming through, asking where Lance was.

“Lance?” His voice was tight, “Lance, are you ok? Answer me.”

Lance switched his mike back on, “Yeah, yeah I'm here, sorry, just got a bit distracted.”

Shiro sighed in relief, then switched to a reprimanding tone, “Well don't get distracted anymore, we need you focused for this mission. There's a lot of prisoners on board counting on us.”

Lance nodded, “Gotcha. No more distracted Lance.”

“Good. Alright team, ready?”

“Ready.” They responded.

“Everybody,” Shiro ordered, “Land on that asteroid and get out of your lions. Pidge, set cloaking on the Green Lion and get in close to the ship, stay hidden and ready in case we need to get out, fast.”

“Got it Shiro.” Pidge responded, “Cloaking Green Lion now.” Her Lion shimmered before vanishing from all sensors.  “Green Lion Cloaked. Heading to ship now.”

They all waited with bated breath for Pidge to give the ok. 

One minute.

Hunk started humming.

Two minutes.

Keith was tapping insistently on the dashboard.

Three minutes.

Shiro’s Galra hand was switching between on and off.

Five.

Lance’s lip was bleeding from biting it so hard.

Finally, “Green Lion in position, mission is a go, repeat, mission is a go.”

All Paladins sighed in relief, but the tension was still there. The battle wasn't over yet.

Lance opened his Lion up and turned on his jet pack. “ _ Hasta luego _ , Blue.” He said, and felt Blue wish him luck. He smiled, then went to join the others.

“Ready Lance?” Keith asked. 

Lance nodded, “Ready.”

Hunk was last to join up, and with one final nod from Shiro, all comm links went off. This was a high security compound. They must retain radio silence. With one final click, they knew Pidge had switched hers off too.

Shiro motioned for them to go, and the mission had finally begun. Quietly, nervously, the four Paladins crept closer to the Galra ship. They hid against the side of the bay doors, and waited for the transport ship to arrive.

When it did, the bay doors opened wide, and stayed open just long enough for them all to make it in.

One last hand motion from Shiro, and they split up. Hunk with Shiro, Keith with Lance. They all went their separate ways and headed to the different sectors of the ship.

Hunk and Shiro would take the east end, Keith and Lance would take the west. Lance’s Bayard glowed a faint blue, and in front of him, Keith’s gave off a similar, red hue. They were the only sources of color save for the Galra purple that lit the way.

Keith raised his hand in warning, and they both leapt into a small, hidden nook, just in time to avoid being seen by sentries. Lance’s heart pounded in his chest, so loud, it threatened to reveal their position. He took a deep breath, and, when the coast was clear, he and Keith continued forward.

This pattern repeated itself many times. Walk, hide, walk. Walk, hide, walk. Until they reached their destination. A prison cell, containing around 35 Freedom Fighters.

Lance lifted his visor to get a better look at the lot. Most were about middle aged or in their youth. But there were a couple children and elderly scattered into the mix.

Some had a deep blue skin, which looked thick and waxy. Large rainbow eyes stared frightfully at the Paladins, and webbed hands clutched webbed hands for comfort.

Others had soft, pale yellow fur, with bird like eyes, sharp and intelligent, glaring at them. Long, white talons twitched threateningly. Lance also saw a few recognisable species, Arrusians, Krellians, and Olkari.

One of the yellow creatures stepped forward, and Lance could tell almost immediately that this was the leader. It had an aura about it. Strong, unyielding. It stood tall and proud, and multiple scars adorned its body like war medallions. There was a fire in its eye that made Lance want to cower in fear, but he stood his ground and faced the creature, hoping he looked just as strong.

“My name is Lance McClain.” He said, “I am the Blue Paladin of Voltron. This is Keith of the Red Lion. We have come to rescue you. Will you allow us to do this?”

The alien continued staring at Lance for a moment, before finally responding. “I am Espérer of the planet Guerriers. We are glad to finally meet the Paladin’s of the legendary Voltron, but before we go with you, you must prove your strength.”

“And...how do I do that?” Lance asked, hoping it wouldn't be push ups or anything. Instead, much to his chagrin, Espérer turned to the side and showed of a large bare spot, filled with puckered skin and a thin white cut.

“I received this blessure in a land battle with a Galra commander. I returned the wound ten fold and won the battle. I have shown you my strength, now give us proof of yours with your own blessure.” Espérer said. All around him, other aliens nodded their agreement. Some gazing at the blessure in high admiration.

Lance's eyes widened in horror and his body began to shake. He wouldn't. He couldn't. His scars were ones that must never be seen. They must be forgotten.

Keith placed a firm hand on his shoulder, understanding the situation. “Don't worry,” he whispered, “You don't have to do anything, I'll take care of it.”

Keith stepped forward, then quickly removed the top half of his armor. He shoved his sleeve off his shoulder, revealing a large, star shaped scar.

“I received this... _ blessure _ , fighting the Galra. I was shot in the shoulder by a sentry when protecting the Green Paladin. I took down the sentry, and we later won the battle. Will you allow us to rescue you now?”

Espérer shook his head, “Although that is an impressive blessure, the Blue Paladin was the one who spoke first. It is his blessure we wish to see.”

Keith glared, frustrated, “Why must he show his blessure? Are you saying mine is not enough? Look, do you want to be rescued or not? Cause Lance and I can just leave you lot here to die by the hands of the Galra if you want-”

Lance stopped Keith, shaking his head. “It's-it's ok Keith. I...I have to do this.” Lance took a deep breath, then slowly removed his clothing until the lichtenberg figures dancing across his chest could be seen. Audible gasps could be heard from both Keith and the group of aliens.

“I...I Got this blessure fighting the Masters, an ancient race of magicians who captured me and my friends.” Lance took another, shuddering breath, “I kill...I destroyed the Masters and set all my friends free. I have shown you my blessure, will you come with us?”

Espérer nodded reverently, “Those are mighty blessure’s indeed. You truly are a brave fighter. You have proven your strength. We will join you in this escape.” 

Lance lifted his Bayard and shot down the panel of energy, effectively shutting down the bars of the cell. Unfortunately, it also set off a few alarms.

“Quickly,” Lance beckoned them to hurry, “We have to go before they catch us.”

Keith and Lance shrugged their armor back on as quickly as possible, then guided the aliens out. Keith took the front, taking apart sentries bit by bit. Lance took the back, shooting down the sentries that came from behind. Espérer and the other other aliens capable of fighting also joined in, aiding in the escape plot.

“Shiro!” Keith had switched his comm link back on, “We've been caught, hurry up and meet us in the bay area!”

“Got it. On our way.” Shiro’s voice crackled with static.

Lance began to feel the cold grow again, aching to escape, “Not now, not now, not now!” He muttered under his breath, trying so very hard to push it back down, but to no avail. It wanted  _ out _ .

They reached the bay area and began waiting for Shiro, “Pidge!” Keith shouted in the comm link, “Get ready to force the doors open and get us out of here!”

“On it!”

Lance's body was shivering violently now as he tried so hard to keep the cold within himself. One of the blue aliens saw, and she crept forward and placed a webbed hand in his chest.

“You have Ke Anu.” She said, “But why do you hold back?”

“W-what?” Lance chattered, confused.

“Ke Anu.” She replied, “The great power of ice and snow. But why keep it hidden and bound? You will only cause harm to yourself if you keep doing this.” Her voice was calm, soothing. Like a summer shower. Her multicolored eyes wrinkled in confusion. She seemed to young, too innocent for this war.

Lance opened his mouth to answer her, but stopped when Shiro and Hunk came racing in with their rescued prisoners, a horde of Galra sentries on their back. Lance started firing at them.

“It's too much!” He shouted, “We need to leave now!”

“Pidge, doors!” Keith yelled into the comms.

All the Paladins were screaming into their mics now. The door wouldn't open, they were being over run. Lance didn't know what to do, until the small webbed hand shook his arm.

“Release it.” She said, “It will all be ok.” something about her relaxed Lance, he trusted her. It would all be ok.

Lance took a deep breath, and something inside of him shattered like glass.

A blast of white and blue burst from his body in powerful waves of cold. Though his eyes were closed, Lance could see everything in slow motion.

An icy blast headed for Shiro, Hunk, and the prisoners.  _ Avoid them _ . Lance thought. The ice turned away, and went straight for the Galra, avoiding all innocents.

It felt like forever.

It was only five seconds.

The Galra ship was coated entirely in ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.
> 
> Just kidding, there's more! Thank you to all those who commented below! They really keep me going and are a great form of support. Next chapter, "Liar Liar".


	4. Liar Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liar Liar pants on fire  
> Secrets that we all desire  
> Lance and Kieth, neck and neck  
> Both are liars, both a wreck  
> They'll never learn to end their fight  
> Until the truth can come to light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a poem about this chapter cause I could. I also had a hard time writing this chapter. I rewrote it like 3 times. Hope you enjoy!

 

Keith watched as the blue glow surrounding Lance evaporated, leaving behind nothing but silence and cold.

Sentries were frozen where they stood, icy whisps drifting from them like ghosts. The air was chilled and brittle, like a single word might shatter it like glass.

Memories of a humid planet, filled with pain and death and so much tragedy flooded Keith’s mind, making him so numb he barely noticed as Lance fell to the ground. He didn't hear Hunk cry out in shock and run to check on his best friend. He didn't see Shiro stiffen in awe and fear, didn't hear Pidge screaming into the mics asking what happened.

All he saw were trees, all he heard was whispers, all he felt was pain.

Keith was only half there as Pidge opened the bay doors. He acted only out of habit, placing the prisoners inside the Green Lion, then jetpacking over to Red. 

Shiro carried Lance over to the Black Lion, placing him carefully inside. Keith didn't react when Blue awoke all by herself, following them to the Castle.

Keith still hadn't said a word until they got back. Coran gingerly taking Lance off of Shiro and bringing him to the med bay, Hunk following loyally. Pidge ran after them, curious as to what exactly had happened, peppering Hunk with questions.

“-Ieth, Keith, Kieth!”

Keith jumped in his skin, realizing Shiro was talking to him. “Er, yeah, hey Shiro, what's up?”

Shiro frowned, “Are you ok Keith? Ever since Lance...did whatever he did on the ship you've been quiet. Did you know he could do that?”

Keith nodded, “Yeah, he discovered it back on that stupid planet. It we one of the reasons he scared me. Shiro,” Keith choked back a sob, “It...it really scared me.” Keith furiously wiped away a tear, “I feel...I feel like a brick made of porridge.”

Shiro deadpanned, “What.”

Keith explained, “I'm trying so hard to look strong, but I'm falling apart through the cracks. I care about Lance, and want to be his friend, but he...scares me. And I don't know how much longer I can control that fear. And today...I just don't know if I can handle what happened. It reminded me of what happened with those creatures, the Masters.”

Shiro smiled gently and pulled Keith into a hug, Keith stood there in shock, unsure of what to do, before deciding to pat Shiro on the back, which made for a very awkward, very sweet moment.

“Keith,” Shiro said, “First of all, don't use metaphors. You’re terrible at them. And secondly,” he pulled back and stared at Keith, “I know it might seem scary that Lance has changed so much, it scared me too, but I think the best thing you can do is talk to Lance, let him know your worries. He'll understand, it's Lance after all. Work together to sort out what's going on. And maybe then you can get over your fear of Lance.”

Keith nodded, giving Shiro one of his rare smiles, “Yessir.”

Shiro smiled and clapped Keith on the back, “Good, now go see if Lance is ok. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.”

Keith nodded again, then raced towards to med bay, feeling, just a little bit, less numb.

X

Lance woke up feeling lighter than air and warmer than he had felt in a long time. Blinking open his eyes, he found himself lying on a medical bed, with Coran at a screen, looking at diagnostics, and Hunk and Pidge talking excitedly about something.

“Um, hello?” Lance spoke, and all three of them stopped what they were doing to stare at him. Lance blushed uncomfortably. “Er,  can anyone tell me what happened?”

Both Hunk and Pidge raced over and began talking at the same time 

“We were over run by Galra-"

“I couldn't get in-"

“You turned blue-"

“I heard static-"

“Then POW-"

“All this ice-"

Lance raised up a hand to stood them, a headaches growing inside of him. “Woah, woah, woah, slow down a tick, will ya?” Lance turned to Coran, “Can you tell me what's going on?”

Coran smiled brightly, “It appears you have bonded with Blue much faster than any Paladin before you!”

Lance stared at him for a second, “Oook...I still have no clue what happened guys.”

Coran gripped Lance's hands in excitement, “Your bond with Blue was so strong you were able to use her elemental power to stop the Galra!” Coran said giddy, “Now if only the others can grow as strong as you, we might be able to defeat Zarcon much sooner than we previously thought!”

Lance gulped, “Er, sorry, I just…” his stomach turned, remembering the ice and what it was. Cold. Cruel. Evil.

Able to kill, hurt, harm innocents and cause destruction. He didn't want that power.

Lance sat up and pushed himself off the table, “Thanks for all your help Coran, but uh, I got to go, the garage needs me, and I uh, gotta go to the Blue. I mean, Blue needs me, I gotta go to the Lion-garage!” Lance shifted uncomfortably as the others stared at him confused, “So uh, yeah,  _ adios _ .” Lance began running away, Coran calling after him.

“Wait Lance! I still need to run some more tests!”

Lance ignored him and kept running until he turned a corner and ran into Keith. Both fell down, rubbing their foreheads and groaning.

“What the hell Keith!” Lance complained, “Why'd you do that?”

Keith stood up, “I didn't mean too! You’re the one racing through the halls not looking where you're going doofus!”

Lance grumbled an apology as he stood up. Once both had regained their bearings, Lance stared at Keith for a bit, “So, Keith, what brings you this direction?”

Keith blushed, “Actually, I uh, I wanted to check on you, make sure you're doing ok.”

Lance blushed too, “Er, thank you? I guess?”

“No problem, I uh, I see you're feeling better.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

They stood in awkward silence for a moment.

“Hey,” Keith said, “Want to go check on the refugees with me?”

Lance thought for a moment, maybe he could ask that alien girl about his power, He nodded, “Sure. Let's go.”

Together they headed towards where the escaped prisoners were staying.

When they arrived, they were greeted with hugs and kisses and multiple “Thank you"’s. It was honestly a bit overwhelming, especially for Keith, who wasn't used to such physical praise. Lance laughed at the Red Paladin's face as he tried to handle all his admirers.

But Lance stopped when he caught sight of the alien girl from before. He walked over to her.

She smiled at him, eyes sparkling with joy, “Blue Paladin, how do you feel?”

Lance froze and thought about it, “Actually,” he responded, “Much better. Can you tell me what happened…” He trailed off, leaving it as a question.

“‘Oli’Oli.” She said, “That's my name, but please, just call me Oli.”

Lance nodded, “Ok Oli,  can you tell me what happened back there?”

“Well Paladin, you were keeping your Ke Anu restrained. It is not good for the soul. You feel good because you used your power. You must not hold it in so much Paladin, you must use Ke Anu daily, or it will cause you more harm than good.”

Lance winced, “But what if...what if I don't _ want  _ to use Ke Anu?”

Oki frowned, “I do not understand, why do you not want to use Ke Anu? It is a great blessing.”

Lance winced, “Well, see, to me...it's a burden. When I use it...it hurts people. I don't want to cause harm to others.”

Oki smiled gently, as if listening to the fears of a child. “I see, then perhaps you do not fully understand what Ke Anu is. Allow me to show you.”

Oki lifted her hands and placed her palms together, wisps of cold began leaking from the cracks, and as she pulled away, Lance saw a beautiful, alien flower, made from ice.

The petals were delicate, and looked almost soft. Every wrinkle, every crease, every bit of texture a flower held, was there. The details were exact and shone in the dim light of the Castle. Lance gazed at it in awe.

“I-I can do that?” he asked quietly.

Oli nodded, “Of course, and I can teach you, Blue Paladin, if you would like me too.”

Lance thought for a moment, the ability to use his power for good. To create beauty, not destruction. It took only a second for Lance to come to a decision, he put his hand out, “Please.” He said.

Oli took his flesh hand in her own, blue webbed hand. “Then let us begin.” She said.

X

Keith watched the exchange between Lance and the alien with a grim smile upon his face. He was glad Lance felt more comfortable about his power, even if it still terrified Keith.

He turned and saw Espérer heading towards him. He waved hello, “What can I do for you Espérer?”

Espérer smiled, “No more than you and the Blue Paladin have already done. My people thank you. You both fought bravely, although I am surprised that the Blue one fought so well, despite his injuries.”

Keith shook his head, “They're only scars, they don't cause him harm.”

Espérer frowned, “I was not speaking of those, even though they are quite beautiful. I speaking of the wound in his ear.”

Keith tilted his head, confused, “His ear?”

“Yes.” Espérer nodded, “Yes, his left ear to be precise.”

Keith grew worried, “What's wrong with his left ear?”

Espérer looked at Keith like he should already know, “Are you not aware? He cannot hear out of that ear. It is obvious by the way he moves. Reacting more to things on his right side. I have seen similar wounds before, I am surprised you did not know.”

Keith paled, a cold running through his body. Lance was...deaf in one ear? Why hadn't he told anybody? “Please excuse me Espérer, there's something I must take care of.”

“Of course Red Paladin, I understand.” Espérer nodded.

Keith didn't hear him say goodbye, he was too focused on Lance. He snuck up on Lance's left side. Lance was too distracted by the alien girl to notice Keith.

“Why didn't you tell me.” Keith whispered in Lance's left ear.

Lance made no motion to show he had heard Keith.

Keith growled and grabbed Lance’s shoulder, turning him abruptly around.

Lance shouted in surprise, “Geez Keith, just about gave me a heart attack!”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Keith growled, “Would you prefer it if I approached you from your  _ right  _ side since your  _ left  _ is obviously  _ useless _ ?!”

Keith watched as all the color from Lance's face drained away.

“How did you find out.” Lance whispered, phrasing it as more of a demand than an actual question.

“Espérer told me.” Keith said bluntly, still furious, “And now, I want to know how I found out that you're half deaf from an  _ effing alien instead of my best friend! _ ”

“Keith,” Lance sighed.

_ “Don't  _ **_Keith_ ** _ ’ me asshole, tell me why you didn't tell us _ !”

Lance winced, tears forming in his eyes. All around, everything had gone quiet, all the aliens watching the discourse between the Blue and Red Paladin. “Keith, I-"

_ “You what, you’re sorry? Sorry doesn't fix the fact that you didn't trust me enough to tell me about it!  _ Does Shiro know? Pidge, Hunk? Allura?” Does  _ anyone _ aboard this ship know?”

Lance looked down in shame, “Coran knows. I told him before the mission so he could switch my comm to the other side of my helmet.” Lance sobbed, “I didn't tell any of you because I thought if you knew I was crippled you'd decide I wasn't worthy to be a Paladin anymore. I'm already a monster. I didn't want to be a freak too.”

Keith's blood turned to ice, and his anger faded. “Lance...no one would think that of you. You’re the Blue Paladin no matter what. You aren't a monster, and you are  _ certainly  _ not a freak.” Keith took a moment to prepare before forcing himself to hug Lance, who immediately pulled closer, clutching Keith as tears ran down his face.

“We care about you Lance. You need to realize that. We can't lie to each other anymore. It's just causing more harm.”

Keith pulled away and stared into Lance's red rimmed eyes. “It's about time we  _ all  _ started being honest with each other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my sister for the metaphor. Senior night is coming up so I'll be pretty busy for the next few days :/ sorry. Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought in the comment section below! Next chapter: Boys Don't Cry


	5. Boys Don't Cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! I was busy dealing with some family problems and senior stuff. On the plus side, I got accepted to the college I wanted to go to! Also, have you ever waited so long to finish writing a story that you've had to go back and re-read it?

“Everybody, gather round.” Keith gathered the group of paladins together, “We need to talk.”

“What's wrong Keith?” Shiro asked, “You seemed really urgent on the comm.”

“Lance has something to tell you guys, Lance?” Keith pushed him forward.  
Lance squirmed uncomfortably under all the paladins eyes, “Er, well, as you all know, back on that...back on that planet, some...stuff happened.”

Pidge snorted, “That's an understatement.” Keith shushed her.

Lance coughed, his chest felt heavy and hot. His head was buzzing as his nerves shot warning signals all through his body. “I came out of it in...pretty bad shape, but none of you know just how bad.”

Shiro frowned, “Lance, why are you telling us this now?”

“Well, see…” Lance turned to Keith for aid, and Keith stepped forward.

“That doesn't matter, what matters is that we know what happened and find a way to deal with it, Lance, continue.”

Lance sighed, “Keith and Coran already know this, but...I'm deaf in my left ear.”

This statement gave rise to many reactions. Allura started panicking and running through different treatments that could help, Pidge grew red in the face as if deciding whether to be angry or sad, and Hunk raced forward and hugged Lance tightly.

Shiro remained silent for a moment before glaring darkly at Lance, “You should have told us sooner, we could have helped.”

“I know.” Lance said sadly, “I just… I figured that since I'm crippled in that area you might not want me to be a paladin anymore and I just...I couldn't let that happen.”

Shiro walked over to Lance and placed a firm, reassuring hand on his shoulder. “That wouldn't happen. We're a team, and no one can replace you, you're the Blue Paladin Lance.”

Keith cleared his throat to gain the attention of everyone, “Guys, it's not just Lance that had to come clean, we all do.”

“What do you mean?” Hunk asked, still standing close to Lance as if prepared to hug him the moment he broke down.

“Since that stupid planet, our teamwork is off. What happened there...was bad. We all had our fair share of trouble, and we all thought we could deal with it on our own, but we can't.” Keith sighed, “The way to move on is to talk about it. You should all know that I've had some problems because of it.” Keith smiled sadly at Lance, “I'm sorry to tell you this but, you still scare me from time to time. I try not to be, but it's hard.”

Lance nodded, “I understand.” Lance swallowed hard, pushing back the prickle of tears, “After the planet I hard time forgiving you Keith, so I get where you're coming from. Someone...important to me told me, sometimes we must simply move on and forgive the ones who are past forgiveness. That is the only way to keep the world moving down the right path.

“It helped me to work hard on forgiving you. It still bugs me, but...I'm working on it too.”  
Keith nodded, and Pidge raised her hand, “Yes Pidge?” Keith asked.

“I still have nightmares. About plants. I'm supposed to be the Green Paladin, and have a strong connection with them but… I just can't. I'm supposed to be smart too, but I never noticed what was going.”

This time, Hunk moved forward, “I have a hard time forgiving myself for letting all that happen to you.”

Lance frowned, “Hunk, that wasn't your fault.”

Hunk waved a dismissive hand, “Maybe not, but I still couldn't protect you all when I should have. I was weak, and I don't want to be that weak ever again.”

“Hunk, you aren't weak,” Lance said, “And Pidge, you are smart, both of you are not at fault here. You didn't cause any of that to happen.”

“You're right.” Shiro said, “I did.”

“What?!” All the paladins stared at Shiro in shock, how could it possibly be his fault?

“I'm the one who sent Keith and Lance down there in the first place.”

“I did too, remember?” Allura said, “It was a joint mistake. But that doesn't make it our fault. We did what we thought was the right choice, neither of us knew what would happen. What happened was terrible, but it wasn't any of our faults. We need to move on.

“None of the problems we've had since then would have happened if we had talked in the first place. I knew this but didn't know if I should interfere. Obviously I should have. We all have problems, we need to communicate and move on or we will never be a team.”

“That's right," Keith said, "That's why I had us gather here, to talk. We all had problems and that has been made abundantly clear by this discussion. I wish it could go on longer, but we have work to do. I just want us all to recognize the fact that we need to talk more. I may not be a people person, but I know that's what a good team does.”

Lance nodded, “I agree.”

Pidge raised her hand again, “I'm glad we all got that out and are dealing with our emotional problems, but that still doesn't help us deal with outperform physical ones, namely, Lance’s ear.”

Lance cringed, he had hoped that with all the talking they would have forgotten that. Apparently not.

“You are absolutely right Pidge.” Allura stated, “Lance, you said Coran already knew?”

Lance nodded.

“Good, perhaps we could work with him to help it heal?”

“He said he was already on it.”

“Good, now, Lance and I will meet Coran in the med bay, the rest of you, keep working with those Freedom Fighters.”

They all nodded and went of in their separate directions.

X

“Alright Lance,” Coran said joyfully, “Just sit on this here table and I'll perform some scans on your ear.”

“Got it.” Lance hopped onto the table as Allura stood patiently in the corner of the med bay. He watched as Coran pulled over some kind of camera that reminded him of the x-ray machine his dentist used to look at his teeth. After a short buzz, Coran pushed away the camera and walked over to the computer. He typed a few buttons and frowned.

“Oh dear.” He mumbled.

“Oh dear?” Allura uncrossed her arms and walked over to Coran, “What do you mean, ‘oh dear’?”

Coran turned fretfully to Allura, “Princess, the damage to his ear is extensive, his nerves are damaged. I don't know if we can heal them. It might be too risky. It could cause serious brain or nerve damage.”

“What?” Lance jumped off the table and ran over to the screen, “Let me see!” He ran his eyes over the information Coran had gathered, his heart plummeting after every word he read. Coran was right. It was bad, Lance would have to resign himself to a lopsided world the rest of his life. “This can't be…” he whispered, falling to the floor, his eyes were dry and his chest felt empty. His body was numb, just like his emotions.

His head buzzed. “This can't be…” he whispered again, he couldn't hear or see Coran and Allura trying to comfort him.  
He just sat there, darkness indulging him, as a cold, creeping frost spread from where he sat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, this was a lot longer on my iPad...oh well, let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> This is more of an introduction as to what is going, next chapter has waaay more action, promise!


End file.
